This week I am working at the foreign news desk at the Observer Newspaper in London, as an administrative temporary staff member. I am surrounded by journalists and editors, who are talking about politics, war zones, nuclear issues, UN reports and presidents, and who probably know more about Mandela and South African politics than I do.

I am assisting the editors of the foreign news desk, and although it?s somewhat slow compared to previous jobs, it?s very interesting.

It's ironic that after three years of specialising in the PR industry with a successful start to a promising career, and a consulting position at a London agency working on a global brand, I am now answering phones, opening post and arranging visas.

I have traded the international, business-card, ?glamorous? job, for paid-by-the-hour, ?what-was-your-name-again? temporary work.

The pro's of temping
Even more ironic is that I am now earning almost the same amount of money working from 10 to 6, with a full hour for lunch, as when I was slogging away from eight until seven with five minutes for lunch if I was lucky, and spending a fortune on suits, shoes and accessories to match the business card.

I?m not saying that temping was a conscious choice, as much as it was the only thing going. As a temp you don?t always have work; sometimes you find yourself in a dull dingy office filing expense claims, and then of course there?s no holiday pay. But right here, right now, it does the ?job?.

I always go home at decent hours, or get paid extra for overtime, enjoy full lunch breaks, maintain a degree of anonymity and therefore a lot less accountability, and ultimately I have the flexibility to travel whenever I want. Also I find it easier to manage a weekly pay that fits in with my week-by-week existence.

In South Africa many people expect to know what their future will hold at least a year or two in advance. At 25 years of age they should be on some sort of path to higher purchasing, greater commitment and timeshares in Plettenberg Bay. Fair enough ? I thought the same in Johannesburg.

But in London, when after a few months you are not sure you?re enjoying your work, you feel miserable and everyone else seems to be having more fun and less stress, you start to re-evaluate and your priorities change.

Living for the present
The week-by-week existence for the short time you are here affords you the opportunity to slouch and slack about whilst you decide what it is you should or could be doing in the future.

Often you are just eager to avoid the norm and discover the new, allowing time to travel, party, meet people, make friends and basically look at the world from a different perspective.

Case in point, I know two people, one in IT and the other an artist, who now both work as reception security guards. These are people whose single idea of security was a man patrolling the car park at the local Spar/Nandos shopping centre! Yet they are enjoying life, answerable only to themselves and no jacket required!

So I am sitting on the fifth floor at the news desk, staring out at the grey London skyline, trying not to look too ignorant. I am thinking about the weekend, about what country I should go and visit next and writing this little bit of insight whilst earning #8,50 an hour. It suits me fine.

I think that myself and those friends of mine in security, or the ones waitering in bars are all just taking this short time that we have now to let loose and skirt the seriousness of life and the demands we will soon have to face. Its not escapism, its just a time-out.